For years now, we have been getting more and more graphically demanding games. Whether it’s the implementation of ray tracing, ultra setting, or something even more advanced, one thing remains clear – it’s getting increasingly advanced every step of the way. With a new powerful gaming PC, you can do quite a lot for the ultra settings. Of course, this does not mean that it would be the most advanced game regarding the graphics settings. Sometimes, the advancement is in what you see but could not before. For example, if you have a live world to animate, you will probably have graphics that may not be as stunning as a linear storytelling kind of game. It’s a quid pro quo kind of scenario; you have to sacrifice something to gain in other places.

So, in this article, we will start our search for the most demanding game ever on the PC port. Of course, we can’t count the games that are just not that well-optimized or those that are not popular at all, but we feel like we have hit this sweet spot between those two that we can be proud of. So, let’s dive into the world of the most graphically demanding games that are actually playable and popular. Let’s dive in!

• Release Date: PS5, Windows February 2023, PlayStation 4, Xbox One May 2023, Nintendo Switch November 2023

• Developer: Avalanche Software

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

• Meta Score: 87/100

Starting with – Hogwarts Legacy! It is the open-world action RPG of our time, in the world of Harry Potter books, although – not during the same time. As PC gamers all over the world know – animating a living and breathing world is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. Hence – Hogwarts Legacy is one of the more troublesome on this list of the most demanding games ever.

It looks beautiful, and you really can feel the Harry Potter vibes and the world we all grew up to love. With high settings, this is one of the best-looking games on this list for sure! It’s also relatively fresh and definitely an AAA title, so it’s no surprise that it looks good.

This story is set in the 19th century, a long time before the boy with a scar on his head came to the school to save the world. The world we are presented with is full of potions, magical creatures, beings you have never seen in your life, and overall – magic. You will have to create potions, learn spells, and fight with numerous enemies on your way to becoming a real wizard. Of course, it’s not like you will see only new faces around Hogwarts, as there are plenty of familiar ones, only a bit younger.

It’s a great RPG, and to be honest – it’s kind of souls like in its nature, with a little more dialogue-heavy plot and RPG elements. Nevertheless – it’s still a wonderful journey into the unknown where you will finally have a game that does the spellcasting right. We dare to say that it’s almost as good as the famous PC version of the Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone. Almost!

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Hogwarts Legacy Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 (3.2GHz) or Intel Core i5-6600 (3.3GHz)

• Memory: 16GB of RAM.

• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 470 (4GB) or Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 (4GB)

• DirectX: Version 12.

• Storage: 85GB available space.

• Release Date: February 2022

• Developer: From Software

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

• Meta Score: 96/100

Number two on our list is the undefeated champion in pushing the graphical envelope – Elden Ring. It beats not only your system requirements but also – your will to live. The You Died screen comes up so often that it’s almost as if it was the only screen you’ve ever seen. But when you get the right weapon and the right build – this game is like nothing you have seen before.

Thanks to all the dark undertones, the game can animate many things far in the distance. And it’s all glowing, moving, and interacting with each other. The game is incredible in that department. If you see a scary bridge on the horizon, it’s actually there, and you can go to it, touch it, and get killed by a stray arrow from somewhere.

Also, apart from the graphics, it’s a great game. From the legendary George R.R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki, we get a heartbreaking story where nothing seems to be going all right. You play as Tarnished, a soul living between life and death. You aim to restore the Land Between to its previous glory and become the Elden Lord. Of course, this is much more complicated than your everyday storyline, but you get it: it’s From Software, and you can expect something terrible to happen all the time.

When it comes to the gameplay, it’s Dark Souls on steroids. You have an open world to explore, magic, potions, giant swords that are straight from Berserk, and – the most critical aspect – lots and lots of dodging and dying, of course.

The game is rather challenging, although it’s not as hard as the previous Souls games. We suspect that they wanted their biggest title to be a bit more accessible to the general public. Nevertheless, you need a hefty PC to run it on max settings. And it’s not due to poor optimization; no, you just need a powerful PC with graphics cards that are really the top of the top to see how well-established this game is. In our opinion – it’s one of the greatest games ever. At least the top 3, for sure!

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Elden Ring – Minimum Requirements

• Operating System - Windows 10.

• Processor - Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X.

• Memory - 12GB RAM.

• Graphics - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 580, 4GB.

• DirectX - DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12.0)

• Storage - 60GB.

• Sound Card - Windows-compatible audio device.

• Release Date: December 2020

• Developer: CD Projekt Red

• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia

• Meta Score: 87/100

Next, we have the one and only Cyberpunk 2077. As you can see, it’s the third open-world game on this list, and for a reason! These titles are extremely hard to optimize, and this one knows exactly what we’re talking about. When it first came out, this game had many problems with optimization, as it was not working the best on the older consoles. Unfortunately, high-resolution textures could only work on the new generation of consoles or a high-end PC, not your everyday graphics card that you use when you play Microsoft Flight Simulator from 2010 on.

This was a new opening and an extremely smooth gameplay experience, at least in the plans. Fortunately, after a few patches, we now get to see what it was supposed to look like at the premiere. And let us tell you – it’s a jaw-dropping experience.

For starters, it’s a giant world that is not the Elden Ring-kind-of alive, where you have a few groups of enemies roaming around here and there, attacking you at first glance. Nope, it’s a world full of people. It is actually a metropolis where people are just going about their lives, not caring about what you are trying to do.

It’s extremely hard to animate such a world to make it feel actually immersive, without any loading screens or whatnot. We can appreciate a good effort, and most games are not even aiming as high as the Cyberpunk 2077 went. So – kudos for that.

When it comes to gameplay, on the other hand, it’s the combination of GTA, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Watch Dogs if they were actually good. The game takes place in the futuristic Night City, a dystopian world full of tech-based fanatics who are making this utopia – a dystopia.

People are addicted to technology, and it took a really wrong turn when it comes to human development. Changing your brain, enhancing your speed, how you move, how you kill – it’s all about being the least human and the most machine. When it comes to the gameplay, it allows for dozens of different possibilities. You can hack people, turn off their legs, change their behavior with a virus – it’s a lot. Of course, in addition to the Crysis-like abilities of the main character. It’s a dream come true for all the players who always wanted to experience what it would be like to live in an extremely new and developing world full of tech junkies and god-like powers. And at least a GTX 1060.

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Cyberpunk 2077 – Minimum Requirements

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10.

• Processor: Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600.

• Memory: 12 GB RAM.

• Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, Radeon RX 580 8GB, or Arc A380.

• DirectX: Version 12.

• Storage: 70 GB available space.

• Developer : Bethesda Game Studios

• Release Date : September 2023

• Platforms : Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows

• Meta Score: 86

Another game that is quite demanding on your computer, although you can’t say that it has the best graphics on this list – it’s Starfield! It's a game that everyone loves to hate, but somehow, it has incredible numbers. No one knows why, right? Well, maybe because, even though it’s boring at times, it’s a full package! It’s as if No Man’s Sky had a bit more of a plot and more RPG elements. And this game – has it all!

Space exploration, wonderful cities full of life, different planets you can visit to see what’s going on out there, and some of the best Bethesda ideas ever made. The starship, the space fights, the resource gathering on a scale you have never seen before! Of course, it came with the performance cost, but it’s a price we are willing to let us pay! And so we did.

The game looks incredible at times and completely medium at others. Still, considering how many things have to be animated simultaneously, this game is quite well done, especially regarding the number of plotlines. For example, there is a grave difference between playing in space and in the real world. In space, you can see all the stars, other ships, and the rocks and space parts floating around. When getting on the ground, your view is much more specific, you see the world that is empty or full, depending on where you landed; rich in detail or rather empty and tundra-like. The diversity is what gets you in this game.

You have dozens of side quests, main story, exploration, spaceship building – it seems that this game has everything and a little bit more. The only downside is that it gets a bit boring and unimaginative at times. We can safely say that it’s a grower. It only needed a Skyrim-like beginning to get you into it a little bit more. But you can’t have everything, so we’ll wait for another Dragonborn in the future!

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Starfield – Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 version 21H1 (10.0.19043)

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K.

• Memory: 16 GB RAM.

• Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti.

• DirectX: Version 12.

• Storage: 125 GB available space.

• Additional Notes: SSD Required.

• Release Date: November 2021

• Developer: Playground Games

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

• Meta Score: 91/100

And last but not least, we have the Forza Horizon 5 experience. And let us tell you – it’s not for the faint of heart. The game is absolutely stunning, with some of the most realistic cars ever to be seen in a game. And thanks to it being an open world – you get to experience it with dozens of different drivers on the map, astonishing visuals, and some of the most fun races ever – all in one package!

Forza Horizon 5 keeps the excitement going from Forza Horizon 4, offering thrilling races with awesome cars. This time, you'll be tearing through the streets and countryside of Mexico, enjoying an even bigger adventure. The game strikes a great balance between fun arcade-style racing, like in Need for Speed, and the more serious driving in Forza Motorsport. Plus, every month brings special events where you can win cool prizes and better cars to race with against tougher opponents.

The open-world aspect is really one of the crucial elements, as this game is all about competing with others. You can race together with a friend and bots or join a race full of real people who are trying to do their best to win in this game. The choice of cars is also one of the greatest in gaming history. You have your standard BMWs, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris, but also – the prototype Mercedes and weird experimental cars like the 1962 Peel P50 with a 0.048-liter engine and stunning four horsepower.

If you want to experience a game that is all about surprising you and presenting new opportunities – this is definitely a title for you! Check it out!

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Forza Horizon 5 – Minimum Requirements

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.

• OS: Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher.

• Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200.

• Memory: 8 GB RAM.

• Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470.

• DirectX: Version 12.

• Network: Broadband Internet connection.

• Storage: 110 GB available space.

And that’s pretty much it! Thanks for stopping by! As you can see, there are plenty of games that you can play if you want to use your PC's specs to the maximum. Of course, we provided the minimum, not the recommended requirements, so you can only imagine how much higher it will go compared to those you have seen. If you’re fan of upgrading your components, and 60 FPS is just not doing it for you anymore – those are some of the best titles for you to explore!